iscover
The Australian Defence Force is investigating how a Eurocopter Tiger armed reconnaissance helicopter sustained damage after a “hard landing” during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025.
The Australian Army helicopter was flying near the town of Timber Creek in the Northern Territory when it grounded on Wednesday evening; however, the incident only came to light in recent media reports.
This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members.
A monthly membership is only $5.99 or save with our annual plans.
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
The two aircrew onboard were reportedly unharmed, and a pause on unit flying operations was reportedly ordered after the landing. Defence is now investigating the incident, as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald.
“The aircraft sustained damage during the incident,” Defence said in a media statement.
“The Director of the Defence Flight Safety Bureau has established an Aviation Safety Investigation Team to deploy to the Northern Territory to commence an independent aviation investigation of the incident.
“To enable the conduct of this investigation the 1st Aviation Regiment has implemented a pause on unit flying operations. Other rotary wing support to the exercise will continue.”
The four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopters, manufactured and maintained by Airbus, have been used extensively by the ADF after originally entered deployment in 2003 and are due for a withdrawal from service in 2028.
The Australian Army has ordered 29 AH-64E Apaches, which will be based in Townsville, North Queensland and will eventually replace the Eurocopter Tiger.
The Tiger incident follows the release in May of the final report into the July 2023 crash of an MRH-90 Taipan during Exercise Talisman Sabre, in which four personnel were killed.
The investigation concluded that the primary cause of the accident was an unrecognised loss of spatial orientation, commonly referred to as spatial disorientation (where a pilot is unaware of their actual orientation in relation to the surrounding environment).
“Overall, the investigation found that the primary cause of the accident was Type 1 (Unrecognised) SD, leading to controlled flight into terrain,” it read.
The most fundamental lesson for Defence Aviation is to recognise that all aircrew are exposed to spatially disorienting effects due to the unique nature of military operations in degraded visual environments, low illumination levels or poor contrast conditions.”
Now in its 11th iteration, Talisman Sabre 2025 is the largest and most sophisticated warfighting exercise ever conducted in Australia.
More than 35,000 military personnel from Australia and partnering nations will deploy across Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia, New South Wales and Christmas Island over three weeks. For the first time, activities will also be conducted outside of Australia, in Papua New Guinea.
